Baluster



March 24, 1931 p, QVSTRIUBEL 1,797,883

BALUS TER Original Filed y 7, 1928 ATTORNEYS.

'15 are bevelled so as to fit the bottom rail.

Pat ent ed Mar. 24, 1931 PATENT oFFI E PHILIP C. STR-U'BEL, F HOLLIS,NEW YORK BALUSTER Application filed July 7, 1928, Serial No. 290,930.Renewed January 10, 1931.

My invention relates to a baluster and particularly to means forsecuring the same in place.

Heretofore, so far as I know, in the construction of balustrades andmore particularly where the balusters are of metal, it has been anexceedingly difficult and painstaking procedure to accurately fit thebalusters between the top railand the bottom support, either the stairtread or a bottom rail. At

that portion of the balustrade which is inclined the balusters areusually faced off at the proper angle to fit the underside of the toprail and when the bottom rail is employeld is a difiicult matter to formthe baluster ends so that a nice fit results. If the baluster be eithertoo short or too long, thetop rail is likely to be wavy andunworkmanlike in appearance. Hand operations on balusters particularlymetal balusters performed on the job where a balustrade is being erectedare costly and often unsatisfactory.

It is the general object of the invention to provide an improved form ofbaluster which may be easily and accurately fitted and secured between atop rail and a stair tread or bottom rail. 7

It is a more specific object to provide a baluster which is adjustableas to length so as to enable an accurate fit to be made with theultimate baluster supports.

It is another object to provide a baluster support for one or both endsof a baluster and 7 '35 permitting adjustment of the effective balusterlength. I v

It is another object to provide baluster end members which may berigidly secured to a top rail and to a bottom rail or to stair treadsdirectly, and having a baluster secured to the baluster end members.

Briefly stated, in the preferred form of the invention I employ abaluster which may be of wood or metal, but the invention is ofbaluster. The end or end members of the baluster are secured tov a toprail and to a bottom rail or to a stair tread.

In the drawings which show for illustrative purposes only, preferredforms of the invention v Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of a balustradeillustrative of my invention Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side viewof a baluster in place, parts being shown in section;

Fig. 8is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of line 3-3of Fig. 2;

Fig. '-is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a different type ofbalustrade. In said drawings, 5 indic ates'generally a stairwayincluding treads 6-6 and risers 7 -7. An ornamental hand-railing 8 issecured upon a top rail 9 which is supported by balusters designatedgenerally 1010. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the balusters l0- 10 aresecured directly to the stair treads 66and to the landing 11. In thatparticular form shown in Fig. 4 the balusters 10- 10, instead of beingsecured directly to the treads 6 and landing 11 are secured to a bottomrail 12, which is in turn suitably supported from the stairway.

The invention resides particularly in the provision for adjusting theeffective length I and fit of the balusters between suitable sup ports.As shown more particularly in Fig. 2, I employ a support for the lowerend of the baluster 10 which in the form shown is a socket member 13 toreceive the lower end 14 of the baluster 10. The bottom of the socketmember 13 may be apertured for receiving securing means such as a screw15 screwed tothe tread 6. The baluster 10, if desired may beheld in thesocket 13 by suitable means such as aset-screw 16 passing through athreaded aperture in a side wall of the sotlzet 13 and engaging theinserted baluster en The upper end of the baluster 10 may be secured tothe top rail 9 by suitable means such as a socket member 17 whichreceives the upper end of the baluster. The supporting base or face 18of the top socket orsupport is bevelled off at the proper angle toaccurately fit the top rail 9 at such portions there of as are inclined.The socket 17 may be provided with a threaded aperture for receiving ascrew 19 for holding the socket 17 in place on the top rail 9. Suitablemeans such as the set-screw may be provided for holding the upper end ofthe baluster 10 in the socket 17 In that portion of a balustrade asshown in Fig. 1 which is inclined, two sockets, such as 13 and 17 wouldbe ordinarily'employed.

In that portion of the 'balustrade such as a stair landing 11 the uppersocket would preferably be a duplicate of the lower socket,

that is to say, the base portion of the sockets would be at right anglesto the sockets.

In a. balustrade as shown in Fig. 4 both .the upper and lower balustersockets would preferably be similar to the socket 17 shown in Fig. gumis to say, both would be bevelled off so as to accurately tit and besecured to the top and bottom rails 79 and 12.

It is to be observed that the sockets may be accurately made in afactory under proper supervision. The rod portion 10 of the balusterneed be of accurate length only between rather wide limits for thereason that the portion of each baluster 10 maybe varied between thelimits of the socket depths at the top and bottom of each baluster. Allparts of a baluster involving my invention may be factory made productsand shipped to the location where they are to be used and there readilyassembled and set up by relatively unskilled workmen.

WVhen set-screws such as. 1620 are employed for positioning thebalusters in the upper and lower sockets, andthe set-screws have beenset up, the ends may be cut off, as shown in Fig. 3 so as to present afinished appearance in the completed balustrade.

By means of my invention a great deal of labor may be saved andbalustrades erected.

quickly and permanently and the finished job will present a neat andworkmanlike appearance.

, While the invention has been described in considerable detail as tothe preferred form, it is to be understood that changes andmodifications may be made within the scope of the invention as definedin the appended claims.

I claim: 1. In a baluster, a socket member having 7 a socket therein,said socket member having a base face inclined to the socket portionthereof, means for securing said socket mem v her to an inclined railwith the inclined base face thereof fitting said inclined rail, abaluster rod having one end fitting within said. socket, a second socketmember having asocket therein fitting the opposite endofsaidbalusterrod, means for securing said second mentioned socketmember to a support, and means'for rigidly securing said baluster rod inat least one of said socket members.

2. In a baluster, a baluster rod, a member

